Visit Eau Claire is asking residents to help decide what the area should build next. The question is part of a Resident Sentiment Survey tied to the organization's first Destination Master Plan, a blueprint for the next 10 years of tourism, economic and cultural development.

The plan covers Eau Claire, Altoona and Osseo, along with the towns of Union and Wheaton. The work is organized in three phases, and the current phase, running through the end of November, centers on data review, community sessions and the survey.

One section notes recent additions such as the Pablo Center at the Confluence, which opened in 2018, and the Sonnentag Center, which opened in 2024, then asks what kind of major capital investment respondents would most like to see next. The choices include an indoor aquatic center, an outdoor event venue such as a riverfront amphitheater, and a convention center for large events.

A final section focuses on the convention center idea, asking what residents associate with such a project, from more local jobs to traffic and parking concerns, and whether they knew the area is evaluating a new or expanded convention center.

Executive Director Kenzi Havlicek said the concepts in the survey are meant to gauge interest and establish a baseline for what matters to the region, not to validate a predetermined project. By early November the survey had drawn 448 completed responses, above its minimum target of 400.

The next phase, called Get Focused, is scheduled for December 2026 through March 2027 and is expected to produce a draft plan. A final phase is slated for April through June 2027, when the plan would be completed.